Difference between revisions of "Ornithology Collections: Specimen Donation and Tracking"

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'''Collection Manager:''' Susan Hochgraf       '''Office:'''  BioPhysics ??
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'''Collection Manager:''' Susan Hochgraf  
  
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'''Office Phone:''' 486-????      
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'''Office:'''  BioPhysics 127
 +
 
 +
'''Office Phone:''' 486-8945      
  
 
'''Email: susan.hochgraf@uconn.edu'''
 
'''Email: susan.hochgraf@uconn.edu'''
  
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'''Preparators:''' Jorge deLeon, Margaret Rubega
+
'''Preparators:''' [[Alejandro Rico Guevara]], Jorge deLeon, Margaret Rubega
  
  
  
  
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==What To Do If You Find a Dead Bird,  
+
== What To Do If You Find a Dead Bird, and Want to Donate It to the [http://collections2.eeb.uconn.edu/collections/birds/birds.html UConn Research Collection]  ==
−
and Want to Donate It to the Collection ==
+
  
 
Our collection of bird skins, tissues and bones is currently growing largely through salvage: we accept birds found dead by members of the public. These specimens add to the "library of birdlife" we maintain. Your donations make it possible for future researchers to investigate the bird populations of Connecticut.  
 
Our collection of bird skins, tissues and bones is currently growing largely through salvage: we accept birds found dead by members of the public. These specimens add to the "library of birdlife" we maintain. Your donations make it possible for future researchers to investigate the bird populations of Connecticut.  
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Specimens showing advanced signs of decay are best left where they are. Specimens in good condition should be sealed in a plastic bag (a ziploc with the air squeezed out of it is ideal) with a note containing the following information: your name and contact information; the location (at least town) where the bird was found; the date; and any information you may have about the bird (e.g., how it died - "Hit a window"). If you have the means to measure the bird's weight at the time you picked it up, that information is also very helpful. Once the bird is sealed in a plastic bag, '''PUT IT IN THE FREEZER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE'''. Freezing the body arrests the process of decay, and maximizes the likelihood we can prepare the specimen in a way that will preserve it.  
 
Specimens showing advanced signs of decay are best left where they are. Specimens in good condition should be sealed in a plastic bag (a ziploc with the air squeezed out of it is ideal) with a note containing the following information: your name and contact information; the location (at least town) where the bird was found; the date; and any information you may have about the bird (e.g., how it died - "Hit a window"). If you have the means to measure the bird's weight at the time you picked it up, that information is also very helpful. Once the bird is sealed in a plastic bag, '''PUT IT IN THE FREEZER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE'''. Freezing the body arrests the process of decay, and maximizes the likelihood we can prepare the specimen in a way that will preserve it.  
  
 +
The collection manager works part time (one day per week); she is in the collection on Thursdays. Accordingly, Thursdays are the best days to bring a specimen you wish to donate to the collection. You can call the manager at 860-486-8945 to ensure that someone will be present to take the specimen from you at the time you are due to arrive. If you cannot bring your donation by on a Thursday, contact someone in the Rubega lab at 486-3839 or 486-0309 to arrange a meeting to drop the specimen off.
  
  
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The collection manager works part time (one day per week)
 
  
 +
== Inventory of Donated Specimens  ==
  
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== Class Schedule  ==
 
  
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(<font color= "#FF0000">very</font> subject to change; check back before every lab)
+
(as specimens are prepared, they will move off this list and onto the [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/department/collections/index.html collection database]  )
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
−
!width="75"|Date
+
!style="background:#efefef;"width="100" align="center"|Date Donated
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!width="350"|Required Reading
+
!style="background:#efefef;"width="200" align="center"|Common name
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!width="350"|Subject  
+
!width="200"|Species  
−
!width="300"|Meeting notes, and other resources
+
!width="125"| Prep Priority Score
 +
!width="150"|Condition / Comments
 +
!width="100"|Data
 +
!width="100"| Status
 +
|-
 +
| 10-Nov-2007 || Red Tailed Hawk || Buteo jamaicensis || 2 || good || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 16-Jun-2001 || Red Tailed Hawk || Buteo jamaicensis || 2 || good || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 4-Jan-1990 || Red Tailed Hawk || Buteo jamaicensis || 2 || fair || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 3-Mar-1999 || Red Tailed Hawk || Buteo jamaicensis || 2 || fair || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| April-2006 || Great Horned Owl || Bubo virginianus || 2 || good || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| || Great Horned Owl || Bubo virginianus || 3 || fair || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| Feb-2000 || Barred Owl || Strix varia || 2 || good || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 30-Jan-2007 || Barred Owl || Strix varia || 2 || good || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| || Barred Owl || Strix varia || 3 || fair || no || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| March 1 || Saw Whet Owl || Aegolius acadicus || Drying in Hood (LH) || good || some || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 2008 || Saw Whet Owl || Aegolius acadicus || 1 || good || some || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 12-Jan-1994 || Sharp Shinned Hawk || Accipiter striatus || 2 || fair || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 7-Jan-1994 || Sharp Shinned Hawk || Accipiter striatus || 2 || fair || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 29-Sep-1993 || Sharp Shinned Hawk || Accipiter striatus || 2 || poor || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| || Sharp Shinned Hawk 4x || Accipiter striatus || 3 || fair,good || no || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 6-Jun-2010 || Coopers Hawk || Accipiter cooperii || 2 || good || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 21-Dec-2007 || Juv. Coopers Hawk || Accipiter cooperii || 2 || good || yes || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 3-Aug-2006 || Coopers Hawk || Accipiter cooperii || 2 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 24-Aug-1994 || Coopers Hawk || Accipiter cooperii || 3 || poor || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 26-Oct-2006 || Coopers Hawk || Accipiter cooperii || 2 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 31-Aug-2008 || Coopers Hawk || Accipiter cooperii || 2 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 25-Aug-2008 || Coopers Hawk || Accipiter cooperii || 2 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| || Coopers Hawk 5x || Accipiter cooperii || 2 || fair-good || no ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 14-Jun-2008 || Tern Chick || || 1 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 5-Sept-2004 || Nighthawk || Chordeiles gundlachii || 1 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 7-Nov-2005 || Long-Eared Owl || Asio outs || 1 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 10-Jun-2009 || Pine Siskin || Carduelis pinus || 2 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 31-Mar-2009 || Pine Siskin 2x || Carduelis pinus || 2 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 19-Mar-2009 || Pine Siskin || Carduelis pinus || 2 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 15-Mar-2009 || Pine Siskin || Carduelis pinus || 2 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 12-Mar-2009 || Pine Siskin || Carduelis pinus || 2 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 9-Jan-2009 || Pine Siskin || Carduelis pinus || 2 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| || Pine Siskin || Carduelis pinus || 3 || good || no ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 13-Jun-2007 || Ruffed Grouse || Bonasa umbellus || 1 || good || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 19-Oct-2004 || Lincoln Sparrow || Melospiza lincolnii || 2 || fair || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 6-Jul-2009 || Savannah Sparrow || Passerculus sandwichensis || 1 || fair || yes ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| Feb 2011 || Eastern Screech Owl || Otus asio || 3 || good || some ||Collections
 +
|-
 +
| || Great Horned Owl || Bubo virginianus || in hood, M.A. || good || no || Collections
 +
|-
 +
| 16-Aug-2003 || ?Finch? || || 3 || poor || yes || Collections
 
|-  
 
|-  
−
| Jan 25 ||P & L p. 274-281,286-287; Sibley p. 9-14; Clark p. 1-19 || Tools of the Trade: Optics, Field Guides, Field Notebooks ||  
+
| 1-Mar-2011 || Great Horned Owl || Bubo virginianus || 2 || good || yes
−
|-  
+
|| Collections
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| Feb 1 || P & L p. 22-37, 47-65, 263-265; Sibley p. 15-21; Clark p. 21-40  || North American Bird Orders; topography & field marks || <font color= "#FF0000">CHECK UNIVERSITY WEB SITE BEFORE LEAVING HOME </font> in case of class cancellation and BRING YOUR FIELD NOTEBOOK
+
|-
−
|-  
+
| 27-Dec-2001 || ?Loon? || Gavia ??? || 1 || good || yes || Collections
−
| Feb 8 || Handouts ||Field Techniques: Survey Methods ||  
+
|-
−
|-  
+
| 9-May-2011 || Lincoln's Sparrow || Melospiza lincolnii || save for JDL || good || yes || Collections
−
| Feb 15 || || Birding, whole class || BE ON TIME! WE LEAVE AT 8 AM!
+
|-
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| Feb 22 ||  ||CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW ||  
+
| 18-Dec-1996 || Evening Grosbeak || Coccothraustes vespertinus || 1 || fair || yes || Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| Feb 29 || Handouts|| Birding First, then Opportunities in Ornithology - You Mean I Can Get Paid For This Stuff? || Be on time! We leave at 8 am! Bring your resume, if you have one, for the second half of lab. If you haven't looked at it yet, check out: [http://www.osnabirds.org/on/ornjobs.htm Jobs in Ornithology], the job board for the Ornithological Societies of North America.
+
| 19-Dec-1996 || W.T. Sparrow || Zonotrichia albicollis || 3 || fair || yes || Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| March 7 || P & L p. 81-105   || Birding first (BE ON TIME!) then Feathers & Aerodynamics  ||Meet in Front of Torrey; we leave at 8 am
+
| 21-Dec-1996 || Nighthawk || Chordeiles minor || 1 || good || yes || Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| March 14 ||  ||NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK - GO BIRDING! ||  
+
|     ||     Northern Flicker  ||  Colaptes auratus          ||      In Progress (S.H.)    ||    good      ||  some    || Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| March 21 || ||'''MIDTERM EXAM''' - Birding After||   
+
|     ||     Great Horned Owl ||   Bubo virginianus    ||      3    ||    good      ||  no    || Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| March 28 || P & L p. 266-273 || Weather and Bird Movements  || If weather allows, we'll bird first then do the EBird Setup Lab. Horrible weather = weather and bird movement lab. 
+
| 29-Oct-2002    ||    Barred Owl  ||  Strix varia        ||     1      ||    good      ||  some    || Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| April 4 || P & L Chapters 6 & 7, 205-209, 219-226 ||Anatomy - Musculature and Internal Organs ||
+
|  14-Oct-2005    ||     Hairy Woodpecker  || Picoides villosus        ||     1    ||    good      ||  yes    || Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| April 11 || Sibley; herons, gulls, and ducks || Tour de Local Birds || 4 hour field trip -- we'll be out of the lab from 8-12.
+
| 16-Oct-2007    ||     ?Hawk?   || Accipiter ??        ||    In Progress (???)     ||     good      ||  yes    || Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| April 18 ||Chap. 5  || Anatomy - Skeletons ||  8 am - birding first
+
| 30-Dec-2008    ||    Barred Owl  ||  Strix varia        ||     1      ||    good      ||  yes    || Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| April 25 ||P & L p. 66-77 ||Feet, Beaks, and Body Form  ||
+
| Dec-2008    ||    Great Horned Owl ||  Bubo virginianus    ||      2    ||    good      ||  yes    || Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| May 2 ||  Handouts || Field Techniques: Behavioral Observations ||  
+
| 17-May-2010    ||     American Redstart  || Setophaga ruticilla        ||      1    ||    good      ||  yes    ||Collections
−
|-  
+
|-
−
| May 5 ||'''8-10am'''|| '''FINAL EXAM in TLS 371'''||
+
| 18-Jun-2010    ||    Downy Woodpecker ||    Picoides pubescens    ||      2    ||    good      ||  yes    || Collections
−
|}
+
|-
−
 
+
| 29-Jun-2010    ||     Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  ||   Sphyrapicus varius      ||     1    ||    good      ||  yes    || Collections
−
== Grading ==
+
|-
−
 
+
| 31-Mar-2011    ||     Great Horned Owl ||   Bubo virginianus    ||      1    ||    good      ||  yes    || Collections
−
Grading in this course is done on a straight percentage-of-points basis, i.e., to obtain an A, you need to earn 90% or more of the available points. <font color= "#FF0000">The grades will '''not''' be "curved", and there will be '''no''' opportunities for "make-up" or "extra-credit" points.</font> Attendance on the field trips is '''required'''. If you miss a field trip, you lose 10 points. If you miss a test, you will receive a score of zero. If you have a legitimate reason (click here for a sample of legitimate vs. lame excuses) to miss a field trip or test, you may be excused (at the discretion of the instructors) IF AND ONLY IF you provide written documentation (for example, a doctor's note documenting illness; an obituary documenting a death in your family). In cases where the instructors determine you have a legitimate excuse, there still will be no make-ups administered: you will be graded only on the basis of the points contained in the field trips and tests you did complete. NOTE that this method reduces the number of points you can afford to lose and still do well in the course.
+
|-
−
 
+
|   ||     Cedar Waxwing ||   Bombycilla cedrorum    ||     3    ||    good      ||  some    || Rubega
−
These policies have been developed over years of teaching this and other courses, and are designed to ensure fair treatment of everyone by eliminating discrepancies in testing and evaluation, and by eliminating differences in the amount of field and study time available to students. I am very willing to discuss my reasoning for these policies, but if you try to talk me into making an exception to them for you, you will fail, and probably make me grumpy to boot.  
+
|-
−
 
+
|    ||    Rose-breasted Grosebeak ||  Pheucticus ludovicianus    ||      3    ||    good      ||  no  || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
== Point Structure for Grading ==
+
|   ||    Red-bellied Woodpecker ||  Melanerpes carolinus    ||      3    ||    good      ||  no  || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
'''COURSE POINT TOTAL   300 POINTS'''
+
|   ||    Juv. Red-bellied Woodpecker ||   Melanerpes carolinus    ||      3    ||    good      ||  no  || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
Test 1:     50 points,     March 3     
+
|    ||    Downy Woodpecker ||  Picoides pubescens    ||      3    ||    good      ||  no  || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/c/c3/EEB_287_Test_1_Key.pdf Test 1 Key]
+
|    ||    Wood Thrush ||  Hylocichla mustelina    ||      3    ||    good      ||  some  || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
Final:    100 points,    May 5     (50 points for post-midterm material, 50 points for from material from the WHOLE COURSE)
+
|   ||     Winter Wren ||  Troglodytes hiemalis    ||      3    ||    good      ||  no  || Collections
−
 
+
|-
−
Ebird Set-up Document: [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/c/c5/Ebird_Setup_Document.pdf click here]
+
| || Red Tailed Hawk || Buteo jamaicensis || 2 || fair || no || Collections
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/f/fe/Field_Notebook_Guidelines.pdf Field Notebook:]     30 points    
+
|   5-May-2012 ||    Hermit Thrush ||  Catharus guttatus    ||      2   ||    good      ||  Some  || Collections
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/f/f6/Independent_observation_guidelines.pdf Independent Field Observations]:      70 points and [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/7/7f/POINT_COUNT_PROTOCOL.pdf Point Count Protocol] and [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/6/62/Point_Count_Datasheet.pdf Point Count Datasheet] and
+
|  23-Sept-2007 ||   Juv. Sharp-shinned Hawk ||  Accipiter striatus    ||      2    ||    fair      ||  yes || Collections
−
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/3/38/Point_count_example.pdf Point Count Example]
+
|-
−
 
+
| 20-Aug-2009  ||     Cooper's Hawk ||   Accipiter cooperii  ||     1    ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
−
Independent Field Observation Locations: [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/4/40/Heep_Site_Map.pdf Map of Hillside Environmental Education Project]
+
|-
−
 
+
|  7-Sep-2009  ||    American Goldfinch ||    Carduelis tristis  ||    3    ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
−
Field Trips          50 points     (Field trips are required: you ''lose'' 10 points for every missed trip, 20 if you miss the all day trip. Note that field trips are VERY subject to change, depending on birds, weather, circumstances, and whim. Don't assume you know what you are going to miss.)
+
|-
−
 
+
|  28-Oct-2009  ||    W.T. Sparrow ||    Zonotrichia albicollis  ||    2    ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
−
All-Day field trip: April 5
+
|-
−
 
+
|  25-Nov-2009  ||    Ruddy Shelduck ||    Tadorna ferruginea  ||    In Progress (SH)   ||    good      ||  yes || Collections
−
== Academic Rules/Conduct ==
+
|-
−
 
+
|  7-Jan-2010  ||    Eastern Screech Owl ||    Megascops asio   ||    3    ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
−
All students should be aware of the guidelines on academic integrity contained in the Student Conduct Code. The Conduct Code is available at http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_conduct.html.
+
|-
−
 
+
|  26-Jan-2010  ||     Sharp-shinned Hawk ||    Accipiter striatus  ||     3    ||    good      ||  yes  || Collections
−
 
+
|-
−
== Questions ==
+
| 2-Feb-2010  ||    Song Sparrow ||    Melospiza melodia  ||    1   ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
''If you have questions, by all means collar me or email me and ask. I will post both the questions (questioners will be anonymous) and answers here.
+
|  11-May-2010  ||     Black-and-white Warbler ||    Mniotilta varia ||    1    ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
−
''
+
|-
−
 
+
|  7-Jul-2010  ||    ?Shorebird? ||     ||        ||    good      ||   yes  || Collections
−
 
+
|-
−
== Useful and Amusing Links ==
+
| 9-Aug-2010  ||    Northern Waterthrush ||    Seiurus noveboracensis  ||    1    ||    good      ||  yes  || Collections
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/ Bird songs online!]
+
|  3-Oct-2010  ||    Downy Woodpecker ||    Picoides pubescens ||    3  ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0326/p16s01-sten.html Cell phone towers and bird strikes]
+
|  Feb-2012 ||     Cooper's Hawk ||  Accipiter cooperii ||    2  ||    good      ||  yes  || Collections
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/2/20/CRC_internship_info.pdf Bird Rehabilitation Internship Opportunity!]
+
|  14-Jul-2011 ||    Winter Wren ||    Trogylodytes troglodytes ||    2  ||    good      ||  some  || Collections
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/ Feather Identification Resource Online!] The Feather Atlas of North American Birds provided high-resolution scans of flight feathers of the major groups of birds; useful for comparison with found feathers whose origin you aren't sure of.
+
|  12-May-2012 ||    Hermit Thrush 2X ||  Catharus guttatus    ||      2    ||    good      ||  Some  || Collections
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://www.osnabirds.org/on/ornjobs.htm Jobs in Ornithology], the job board for the Ornithological Societies of North America. THE central clearing house for field research internships and jobs.
+
|  22-Jan-2011  ||    Hooded Merganser ||    Lophodytes cucullatus ||    2  ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://sibleyguides.blogspot.com/ David Sibley's Blog], wherein the field guide guy riffs mostly on the finer and philosophical points of bird identification, and reports his experiments in window treatments to prevent bird strikes.
+
|  30-Jan-2011 ||    Cooper's Hawk ||  Accipiter cooperii ||    2  ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4721675 NPR piece and song by Sufjan Stevens] about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker "rediscovery", and the effect on Brinkley, AK. See also this [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/us/23woodpecker.html?_r=1&sq=ivory-billed%20woodpecker&st=nyt&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&scp=3&adxnnlx=1201806152-N6IIgTiowayZI2rwhCUzZA recent NY Times article] on the effect in Brinkley as hope has faded that the bird is actually there. (Thanks to Kevin Burgio for the link.)
+
|  30-Mar-2011  ||    Rock Dove ||    Columba livia ||    1  ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
[http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/mbalame/archives/2008/03/photo20080313.html North Coast (Oregon) Diaries] Comments on photo documentation versus detailed notes. See also the March 2 post on Ugly Gulls (browse Main calendar).
+
|  spring 2011  ||    Empidonax sp. ||    Empidonax flycatcher ||    for JDL  ||    good      ||  yes  || collections
−
   
+
|-
−
[http://listserv.umd.edu/archives/ecolog-l.html ECOLOG-L listserve postings] Job postings, other miscellaneous information and discussions about field ecology.
+
|  July 14 2011 ||    Winter Wren ||    Troglodytes hiemalis ||    2   ||    good      ||  yes || Rubega
−
 
+
|-
−
[[Category:EEB Courses]]
+
|  Sep 2011  ||    Ruby-throated Hummingbird ||    Archilochus colubris ||    for Alejandro  ||    okay      ||  yes  || Collections
 +
|-
 +
|  Nov 28 2011  ||    Cedar Waxwing 6x ||    Bombycilla cedrorum ||    3  ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
 +
|-
 +
| Jul 24 2012  ||    North Cardinal 2x ||    Cardinalis cardinalis ||    3  ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
 +
|-
 +
|  16 Nov 2012  ||    Yellow-rumped Warbler ||    Dendroica coronata  ||    2    ||    good      ||  some  || Rubega
 +
|-
 +
|  4 Nov 2012  ||    Black Capped Chickadee ||    Poecile articapillus  ||    2    ||    good      ||  some  || Rubega
 +
|-
 +
|  12 Nov 2012 ||    Hermit Thrush  ||  Catharus guttatus    ||      2   ||    good      ||  Some  || Rubega
 +
|-
 +
|    ||    Cedar Waxwing ||    Bombycilla cedrorum ||    3  ||    good      ||  no  || Rubega
 +
|-
 +
|  Jun 5 2012  ||    Redstart ||    Setophaga ruticilla  ||    1  ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
 +
|-
 +
|  Jun 5 2012  ||    Juv. European Starling ||    Sturnus vulgaris ||    1  ||    good      ||  yes  || Rubega
 +
{|

Latest revision as of 17:13, 26 April 2013

Chicken skull.jpg


Collection Manager: Susan Hochgraf

Office: BioPhysics 127

Office Phone: 486-8945

Email: susan.hochgraf@uconn.edu

Preparators: Alejandro Rico Guevara, Jorge deLeon, Margaret Rubega



What To Do If You Find a Dead Bird, and Want to Donate It to the UConn Research Collection

Our collection of bird skins, tissues and bones is currently growing largely through salvage: we accept birds found dead by members of the public. These specimens add to the "library of birdlife" we maintain. Your donations make it possible for future researchers to investigate the bird populations of Connecticut.

If you find a dead bird, the very first thing to do is to determine if it is fresh enough to make a useful specimen. A bird that hasn't been dead for long will be round, not flattened or sagging; the eyes will be full and still moist; the feathers will not fall out when you handle the bird; the body will not smell. In contrast, a specimen that has already begun to decay will be collapsed, and may be oozing fluids; the eyes will be sunken and dry-looking; the feathers will be loosely attached and fall out easily when tugged, or when you handle the bird; there may be insects (ants, maggots) on or in the specimen; and the body will smell bad.

Specimens showing advanced signs of decay are best left where they are. Specimens in good condition should be sealed in a plastic bag (a ziploc with the air squeezed out of it is ideal) with a note containing the following information: your name and contact information; the location (at least town) where the bird was found; the date; and any information you may have about the bird (e.g., how it died - "Hit a window"). If you have the means to measure the bird's weight at the time you picked it up, that information is also very helpful. Once the bird is sealed in a plastic bag, PUT IT IN THE FREEZER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Freezing the body arrests the process of decay, and maximizes the likelihood we can prepare the specimen in a way that will preserve it.

The collection manager works part time (one day per week); she is in the collection on Thursdays. Accordingly, Thursdays are the best days to bring a specimen you wish to donate to the collection. You can call the manager at 860-486-8945 to ensure that someone will be present to take the specimen from you at the time you are due to arrive. If you cannot bring your donation by on a Thursday, contact someone in the Rubega lab at 486-3839 or 486-0309 to arrange a meeting to drop the specimen off.


Inventory of Donated Specimens

(as specimens are prepared, they will move off this list and onto the collection database )

Date Donated Common name Species Prep Priority Score Condition / Comments Data Status
10-Nov-2007 Red Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 2 good yes Collections
16-Jun-2001 Red Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 2 good yes Collections
4-Jan-1990 Red Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 2 fair yes Collections
3-Mar-1999 Red Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 2 fair yes Collections
April-2006 Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus 2 good yes Collections
Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus 3 fair yes Collections
Feb-2000 Barred Owl Strix varia 2 good yes Collections
30-Jan-2007 Barred Owl Strix varia 2 good yes Collections
Barred Owl Strix varia 3 fair no Collections
March 1 Saw Whet Owl Aegolius acadicus Drying in Hood (LH) good some Collections
2008 Saw Whet Owl Aegolius acadicus 1 good some Collections
12-Jan-1994 Sharp Shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus 2 fair yes Collections
7-Jan-1994 Sharp Shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus 2 fair yes Collections
29-Sep-1993 Sharp Shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus 2 poor yes Collections
Sharp Shinned Hawk 4x Accipiter striatus 3 fair,good no Collections
6-Jun-2010 Coopers Hawk Accipiter cooperii 2 good yes Collections
21-Dec-2007 Juv. Coopers Hawk Accipiter cooperii 2 good yes Collections
3-Aug-2006 Coopers Hawk Accipiter cooperii 2 good yes Collections
24-Aug-1994 Coopers Hawk Accipiter cooperii 3 poor yes Collections
26-Oct-2006 Coopers Hawk Accipiter cooperii 2 good yes Collections
31-Aug-2008 Coopers Hawk Accipiter cooperii 2 good yes Collections
25-Aug-2008 Coopers Hawk Accipiter cooperii 2 good yes Collections
Coopers Hawk 5x Accipiter cooperii 2 fair-good no Collections
14-Jun-2008 Tern Chick 1 good yes Collections
5-Sept-2004 Nighthawk Chordeiles gundlachii 1 good yes Collections
7-Nov-2005 Long-Eared Owl Asio outs 1 good yes Collections
10-Jun-2009 Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus 2 good yes Collections
31-Mar-2009 Pine Siskin 2x Carduelis pinus 2 good yes Collections
19-Mar-2009 Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus 2 good yes Collections
15-Mar-2009 Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus 2 good yes Collections
12-Mar-2009 Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus 2 good yes Collections
9-Jan-2009 Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus 2 good yes Collections
Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus 3 good no Collections
13-Jun-2007 Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus 1 good yes Collections
19-Oct-2004 Lincoln Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii 2 fair yes Collections
6-Jul-2009 Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis 1 fair yes Collections
Feb 2011 Eastern Screech Owl Otus asio 3 good some Collections
Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus in hood, M.A. good no Collections
16-Aug-2003 ?Finch? 3 poor yes Collections
1-Mar-2011 Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus 2 good yes Collections
27-Dec-2001 ?Loon? Gavia ??? 1 good yes Collections
9-May-2011 Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii save for JDL good yes Collections
18-Dec-1996 Evening Grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus 1 fair yes Collections
19-Dec-1996 W.T. Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis 3 fair yes Collections
21-Dec-1996 Nighthawk Chordeiles minor 1 good yes Collections
Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus In Progress (S.H.) good some Collections
Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus 3 good no Collections
29-Oct-2002 Barred Owl Strix varia 1 good some Collections
14-Oct-2005 Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus 1 good yes Collections
16-Oct-2007  ?Hawk? Accipiter ?? In Progress (???) good yes Collections
30-Dec-2008 Barred Owl Strix varia 1 good yes Collections
Dec-2008 Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus 2 good yes Collections
17-May-2010 American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla 1 good yes Collections
18-Jun-2010 Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens 2 good yes Collections
29-Jun-2010 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius 1 good yes Collections
31-Mar-2011 Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus 1 good yes Collections
Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum 3 good some Rubega
Rose-breasted Grosebeak Pheucticus ludovicianus 3 good no Rubega
Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus 3 good no Rubega
Juv. Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus 3 good no Rubega
Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens 3 good no Rubega
Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina 3 good some Rubega
Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis 3 good no Collections
Red Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 2 fair no Collections
5-May-2012 Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus 2 good Some Collections
23-Sept-2007 Juv. Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus 2 fair yes Collections
20-Aug-2009 Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii 1 good yes Rubega
7-Sep-2009 American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis 3 good yes Rubega
28-Oct-2009 W.T. Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis 2 good yes Rubega
25-Nov-2009 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea In Progress (SH) good yes Collections
7-Jan-2010 Eastern Screech Owl Megascops asio 3 good yes Rubega
26-Jan-2010 Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus 3 good yes Collections
2-Feb-2010 Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia 1 good yes Rubega
11-May-2010 Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia 1 good yes Rubega
7-Jul-2010  ?Shorebird? good yes Collections
9-Aug-2010 Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis 1 good yes Collections
3-Oct-2010 Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens 3 good yes Rubega
Feb-2012 Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii 2 good yes Collections
14-Jul-2011 Winter Wren Trogylodytes troglodytes 2 good some Collections
12-May-2012 Hermit Thrush 2X Catharus guttatus 2 good Some Collections
22-Jan-2011 Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus 2 good yes Rubega
30-Jan-2011 Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii 2 good yes Rubega
30-Mar-2011 Rock Dove Columba livia 1 good yes Rubega
spring 2011 Empidonax sp. Empidonax flycatcher for JDL good yes collections
July 14 2011 Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis 2 good yes Rubega
Sep 2011 Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris for Alejandro okay yes Collections
Nov 28 2011 Cedar Waxwing 6x Bombycilla cedrorum 3 good yes Rubega
Jul 24 2012 North Cardinal 2x Cardinalis cardinalis 3 good yes Rubega
16 Nov 2012 Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata 2 good some Rubega
4 Nov 2012 Black Capped Chickadee Poecile articapillus 2 good some Rubega
12 Nov 2012 Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus 2 good Some Rubega
Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum 3 good no Rubega
Jun 5 2012 Redstart Setophaga ruticilla 1 good yes Rubega
Jun 5 2012 Juv. European Starling Sturnus vulgaris 1 good yes Rubega
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